“Photography” is a professional course that candidates can pursue as a part of fine arts. Photography is an exciting and versatile career where aspirants can combine their creative and technical skills to showcase their art and skills in the form of captured images.
Photographs are the best medium to show your creativity and art to the world. Photography allows you to capture and share the stories, moments and memories in the form of pictures and therefore it is rightly said by a renowned photographer Destin Sparks:
“Photography is the story I fail to put into words”
A career in photography can be highly rewarding to the candidates who are deeply passionate about it. One can find various opportunities in Fashion, Wildlife, Journalism, Events and many more.
In this article, we will explore a career in Photography, courses, top colleges and job opportunities in India and abroad.
“Photography is an art of collecting the images, moments and visual communication material with the help of technology & instruments”.
How to Become a Photographer in India
Candidates can start a career in Photography by pursuing a degree or a diploma program. The list of the courses in photography are mentioned below.
Photography is one such profession which can be taken at any stage of life, what it requires the most is the creativity and technical skills of a person.
After completiting the course, candidates can look for opportunities with agencies, media houses, film and television studious and also work as a freelancer.
Once you acquire basic skills, you can explore different specializations and work on a specific niche in the industry that suits your interest and passion.
Photography is an outstanding medium of self-expression. With the rise of digital platforms and social media, photography has now become a profession with huge commercial value.
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Photography Courses in India
Candidates interested in Photography career can start with a certificate or a diploma course in Photography. The minimum educational qualification required to pursue professional courses in photography is 10+2.
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A very few colleges in India provide the bachelor degree in fine arts and photography. The course curriculum focuses on theoritical and practical knowledge of camera, photographs, angle, lightning, technical knowledge of photography instruments and understanding of fine arts.
There are various Institutes in India, which offer traditional courses in photography, whereas some Institution imparts photography as a secondary subject. Students can pursue diploma, degree & certificate courses in photography according to their own choice.
These programmes are offered in different domains of photography such as basic photography, digital photography, fashion photography, professional photography, motion picture photography, photo journalism etc.
The professional education in photography has three levels of study after 12th as the following:
- Certificate courses: Certificate courses are generally of 3-6 months duration. Candidates can pursue them after 12th in any stream. The list of popular certificate courses include:
- Wedding photography
- Comercial Photography
- Mobile Photography
- Travel Photography
- Diploma courses: Diploma courses are taken the duration of one year after 12th in any stream. The list of diploma courses:
- Wedding photography
- Video Production and photography
- Wild life photography
- Fashion photography
- Journalism photography
- Degree courses: Degree courses are taken the duration of three years after 12th in any stream. The list of degree courses:
- B.A. (fine arts)
- B.A. (Photography)
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Eligibility & Admission
To be eligibile for pursuing photography courses in India. Candidates must meet the eligibility requirements as given below:
- Candidates must have passed the 12th standard with any stream.
- Candidates must be minimum 17 years of age for pursuing UG courses.
For admission in diploma or degree level photographic courses, candidates must quallify national level or any university specific entrance exam. Some of the popular entrance exam are given below:
Many colleges and institutes also offer direct admission to their diploma and UG courses in Photography.
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Photography Colleges in India
In India, many institutes provide a short term certificate or a diploma program in photography.
- National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad
- Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore
- Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi
- Pearl Academy, New Delhi
- L. S. Raheja School of Art, Mumbai
- Light & Life Academy, Ooty
- MIT Institute of Design, Pune
- NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology), New Delhi
- The Photography Institute, Mumbai
- Apex Photography Institute, New Delhi
- International Institute of Photography (IIP), New Delhi
- Photo Design Academy, Mumbai
- Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Pune
- Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida
- Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi
Career & Jobs
A career in photography offers a wide range of job opportunities to the candidates. In the last few years we have seen exponential growth in social media, ecommerce, content creation and digital marketing which has significantly increased the demand for professional photographer.
After completing a photography course, candidates can work in various professional roles like a commercial photographer who focused on shooting product/ services, advertising and campaigns for brands.
A photojournalist who works with news and media organization. Candidates interested in fasion and modelling assignements can start their career as a fashion or lifestyle photographer who works with models, designers, magazines and film/television industry.
If you’re more interested in capturing personal moments, then event photography could be a great career choice. Professionals can work as a wedding or event photographer and work on projects related to specific event like a wedding, anniversary, corporate party, birthday etc.
Photographers may work for a company or they can be self-employed. They can find assignments by showcasing their portfolio and networking with professionals in the industry.
Photographers can also work as a freelancer by taking multiple assignment from various clients. In addition to this freelancers can expand their income by selling images to stock photography platforms.
The Popular job profiles in this field are:
- Photo Journalists
- Portrait Photographers
- Wildlife Photographers
- Sports Photographers
- Forensic Photographers
- Fine Art Photographers
- Freelancers
- Fashion & Advertising Photographers
- Event Photographer
Top Recruiters
After the completion of this course, you can get the job opportunity in:
- National Geographic
- Getty Images
- Shutterstock
- The New York Times
- Sony India
- Apple
- BBC
- Adobe
- Forbes
- Red Bull
- Time Inc.
Skills Required
To become a great photographer, you need a sound technical foundation along with a creative mindset. The candidates must love his job and one has to be deeply passionate about camera, environment, lightning and aware of the latest technology.
A candidates must take an keen interest in color, visuals, light to bring the best out of their work. Since photography is constantly changing with the improvement in technology. Therefore, staying updated with the latest trend and technology is the key.
There is no shortcut to become a successful photographer. One has to learn, practice and constantly upgrade their skills throughout their career.
Personality Traits
Wondering what skills you should develop to succeed in this field?
Here are some of the qualities that a photographer should possess.
- Artistic
- Creative
- Independent
- Good Communication skills
- Technical skills
- Originality
- Visual skills
- Business skills
- Well Organized
- Adaptability
Salary
The salary and payscale of a photographer depends his role, experience and company or firm they work for. A fresher can start their career with INR 2-3 lakhs per annum.
Photographers working in specialized roles in the industries like fashion, wildlife, film and television, sports often earn higher salaries.
Professionals having good experience and a strong portfolio are paid much higher than those who are at entry level positions.
Photographers can also work as a freelancers or start their agency which is also very lucrative as they have the flexibiity in setting their rates or packages.
Photographers with 5-6 years of experience and working with established companies are paid in the range between INR 4-8 lakhs per annum.
Books & Study Material
It is a very difficult task to search for a good photography books. Here, we have listed the best photography books to help you in this pursuit.
- The Digital Photography by Scott Kelby’s
- The Art of Photography: An Approach to Personal Expression by Bruce Barnbaum
- Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera by Bryan Peterson
- BetterPhoto Basics: The Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Taking Photos Like a Pro by Jim Miotke
- The Photographer’s Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman
- Basic 35mm Photo Guide: For Beginning Photographers by Craig Alesse
- Light, gesture, color and its not about the F’stop by Jay Maisel
- A world history of photography by Naomi Rosenblum
- The moment it clicks by Joe McNally
If you have any query about Photography Courses in India, you can ask your queries in the comments section below.